Human mobility under disasters: a systematic review and framework for equitable and resilient mobility governance

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Global crises like climate disasters and health emergencies significantly disrupt human mobility.
• Understanding population movements is critical for effective crisis response and societal planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on human mobility in response to global crises.
• To analyze response patterns, mediating inequalities, and cascading effects of mobility.
• To propose a framework for equitable mobility governance.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 946 studies on human mobility and global crises.
• Analysis of methodological and geographic landscapes of the research field.
• Thematic analysis focusing on response patterns, inequalities, and system-wide impacts.

Main Results:

• Identified predictable temporal and spatial dynamics in human mobility responses.
• Revealed that adaptive behaviors and psychological factors drive mobility patterns.
• Demonstrated that structural inequalities (income, race, gender, disability) mediate responses and transmit cascading effects across systems.

Conclusions:

• Human mobility responses to crises are complex, influenced by universal patterns and structural inequalities.
• Cascading effects of mobility impact environmental, health, and economic systems.
• The FAIR-HEART framework offers actionable guidance for equitable mobility governance and building resilient societies.